The Scorpion

[uphill]

Copper Creek Trek
December 15-16, 2007

THE FIRST DAY

RELIC HUNTER announced a series of two trips to the Sibley Mansion and I cleared my schedule for the December run with great enthusiasm. The mining country around Mammoth, AZ is interesting and the Ghost Town of Copper Creek because of its remote location and key-only access made this opportunity something I couldn't miss.



The road there is something that a stock FJ can handle, but there is 4L driving.


TIBAAL89 (Mike) jumped on the run as well and his rig is completely stock. He had no problems making it to the Sibley Mansion and back. When he started the run his rig was showroom pristine and as you'll note, he did loose a few pieces along the way. The next group that goes back there will find the trail swag he left behind.


TIBAAL89 (Mike) and RELIC HUNTER (Chuck) standing in front of an old mining shack. When I first met Chuck, he shook my hand and took a picture of me, presuming that I was a relic. When I told him that I was there to go on the run, and was not an example of a living relic, he was taken back slightly, but adjusted to the circumstances.


This was my first view of the valley. In the distance you can see the old general store/post office, etc.


While there, Mike and I did some exploring and found a segment of the old telegraph line connecting the once thriving mining town of Copper Creek to the rest of the world.

CAMPING OUT - THE FIRST NIGHT/NEXT MORNING


We set up camp and I slept in the back of my FJ.


Mike and Chuck derided me for being a sissy and slept on beds of leaves in their sleeping bags.


It was cold at night.


Chuck's hot coffee turned into a block of ice coffee.

SECOND DAY


This mansion had twenty bedrooms including quarters for prostitutes. We wondered how Belle Sibley (Mrs. Sibley) felt about her husband having "soiled doves" on the premisis but history does not offer a clue.


The Relic Hunter is hunting relics.


General Store, telegraph office, post office, etc.


(photo courtesy of Relic Hunter)


Remnants of the Blue Bird Mine.


Today Redhawk Mining Company is preparing to revisit the area with a copper mine. Their presence in the area will result in road closures. Scorpion in the foreground with some of the preliminary Redhawk equipment in the background.

[MuddyGrrl]

Sweet pictures! Thanks for sharing. I wish I'd have tagged along.

M

[jeshua]

what a great trip. Again jealous of you and your self employment.

[targa88]

Larry,
Great photos of the "adventure/expedition".
Some of us only get to visit these places vicariously through your description.
Unfortunate that another "treasure" of Mother nature will be closed....

[wrigman]

Looks like a good time was had by all. Awsome pic's man! glad you made it back in one piece.

[cruiserlarry]

uphill previously said:

The ARB sliders aren't completely trashed but there are enough serious dents in them (some almost buckling them) that I need to replace them after this trail. Another hit in the same place and they won't protect the FJ. They'll give way.

May I suggest Demello sliders as an alternative to the ARB sliders. IMO, while I love ARB stuff, the Demello sliders hold up better under tougher conditions - mine are still there despite my driving...

[StHarris]

Great write up and pictures Larry. I had a little bit of a pucker factor there reading and seeing the pics of you and Scorpion going down the chute

[uphill]

StHarris previously said:

Great write up and pictures Larry. I had a little bit of a pucker factor there reading and seeing the pics of you and Scorpion going down the chute

While I didn't need an adult diaper at the end, I will tell you that it was as close as I ever want to get to seriously damaging the Scorpion. Essentially, I went down the chute with my foot on the brake at something like a 50+ degree down-angle (the photographer is not standing on level ground so it doesn't look nearly as steep in the picture as it was) taking it (literally) an inch at at time. And when the ground rolled under me and I went three or four inches instead of the one inch I'd planned on, I broke a sweat.

Again, pictures don't do it justice.

But neither do pictures do the area justice. It's really magnificent desert scenery - postcard shots in all directions. There wasn't time to sight see as much as I'd have liked to because the road was so challenging.


The 2" of rain washed out the road in places and because of the damage to the roadway it was unclear whether what bit of road remaining would hold the weight of the rigs. We crossed one at-a-time, carefully, but it was steep enough that if the road had given way, you were going to ride it several hundred meters down to the bottom. Maybe only the front half would be gone and we could get a line to the rig but if it gave-way when you're on it...


And even if we could have maneuvered to go back, the road behind us was rough enough that we were hoping that the road ahead was better. Unfortunately that wasn't the case, but hope springs eternal, and in the end, Scorpion survived with exceptionally minor damage given the nature of the trail.

[TCao]

cruiserlarry previously said:

May I suggest Demello sliders as an alternative to the ARB sliders. IMO, while I love ARB stuff, the Demello sliders hold up better under tougher conditions - mine are still there despite my driving...

I second Larry's suggestion for the DO sliders as I'll be swapping my OEM sliders for the DO version. Jason is out of sliders right now but Jack started cutting and bending piece parts yesterday for the next batch.

[uphill]

TCao previously said:

I second Larry's suggestion for the DO sliders as I'll be swapping my OEM sliders for the DO version. Jason is out of sliders right now but Jack started cutting and bending piece parts yesterday for the next batch.

DeMello sliders are the only sliders I'd replace the ARB's with. My ARB sliders aren't "shot", just beat up. When I posted my thoughts on replacement, the DO sliders were on my mind because they protect the rig better and they also provide a step for the usual passengers whose legs aren't as long as mine are.

I'm standing-by for the FabFours bumper at the moment (it seems I am the only taker on the group buy??) and when he's throwing it on, I may weaken and buy sliders at the same time if he has any in stock.